Open contribution guide
Add a bot people can trust.
A ready-made bot is a small configuration: a clear name, a focused prompt, and references to any existing skills or tools it needs. There is no separate bot code to maintain.
Before you start
- Search the bot directory and existing requests so you do not duplicate a bot.
- Choose one clear user outcome. “Plan a group trip” is stronger than “be helpful.”
- Never put API tokens, passwords, or other secrets in the catalog. HeyTim supplies any shared-service credentials; private account data uses provider OAuth.
Submit a bot
- Open a public contribution request with the bot’s name, purpose, and proposed instructions.
- Write a focused prompt, reference existing skill IDs, and list only tools the bot directly requires. The app decides model and speed settings.
- Include realistic scenarios and expected behavior so reviewers can test the result.
- Maintainers review usefulness, clarity, safety, and least privilege, then integrate accepted contributions into the central HeyTim catalog.
The public monorepo is the source of truth for the website, catalog, app, and services. Maintainers implement accepted proposals there; outside pull requests remain closed until a contributor agreement process is published.
Contribute a supporting skill
Skills stay in the codebase as reusable, readable instructions that multiple bots can share. If a bot needs a new way of working, add a focused SKILL.md, register it in catalog.json, and reference it from the bot.
Propose a tool
Tools can access services or take actions, so they require server-side implementation and a stricter review. Start with a tool request that states:
- the user outcome and exact actions;
- what information the tool reads, stores, or changes;
- how authentication works and where credentials live;
- whether each action is read-only, sandboxed, or interactive; and
- the smallest permissions that can support the use case.
What happens after review
Accepted bots appear in the directory without an app release. Installing one creates a private, editable copy; future catalog changes do not rewrite it. Supporting skills remain versioned so existing bots stay predictable.